You’ve probably been looking at my posts from Iceland and picturing that there’s countryside everywhere in Iceland. Actually, about two thirds of the population of Iceland lives in and around the capital, Reykjavik. It’s a very happening city, with all sorts of resources from around the world. Check out some of my photos that will show you the hip side of Reykjavik.
My favorite building in Reykjavik, the most funky of all, was the concert hall. Its really unusual architecture makes it stand out on the harbor.
Reykjavik isn’t the only city in Iceland. We also got to visit Akureyri, the Northern capital. It’s built right on a fjord, which makes it quite beautiful.
In Akureyri, I got to check out a big festival, with live music and kids’ activities. It was for an Icelandic holiday called “Commerce Day” which celebrates the merchants. It’s kind of like our Labor Day, and lots of people get off work and go camping with friends.
Of course, there was a lot of shopping in the cities! Overall, Iceland is an expensive place to travel. For example, I didn’t buy myself a souvenir t-shirt, because they cost about $35! There were some really nice things in the shops, and also some silly touristy items.
We ate at several really nice restaurants, but there are some cheap ones too. The Curry Inn in Akureyri only had 2 seats. It’s mostly a take-out place. And the hot dog stand in Reykjavik is famous! People come from all over to try these hot dogs. I tried one– it was indeed quite good. I think the secret ingredient might be lamb…
One of my favorite parts of being in the city was seeing how Icelanders seem to care deeply about natural beauty. There are a lot of beautiful gardens, and in Reykjavik, you don’t need to go far outside of the city to spend a few hours on the water.
The city of Reykjavik is growing, and they are constructing new buildings all the time. One local guy told us he’s never seen so many cranes in the city! However, Icelanders are thoughtful about building. When a company built this ugly rectangular eyesore near the coast, they decided to build a public art grassy mound next to it, to make the coast look more beautiful.
Overall, people in Iceland were really nice. After we went through the security at the airport, we saw this machine to log your experience:
I really enjoyed visiting the cities of Iceland. Though the scenery isn’t quite as glamourous, it was fun to learn about the culture and get a taste of how people live. Reykjavik has a little bit for everyone — lots of museums, good food, and natural wilderness at your fingertips if you’re willing to endure a short ride out of town. It’s a truly exceptional place to visit!
And if you want to take a photo of yourself with a giant troll… you can totally do that too.
Categories: Iceland
Innovation on Earth 
Do you think that people in Iceland care more about nature than people in the U.S?
I never thought Iceland had any cities!
The pictures of the tiny hamburgers and bicycle fence are cute! Why is the fence like that? It’s interesting to see the word, “Boston” in Iceland too. The concert hall looks cool. 🙂 I wonder how they were able to construct it?
The Akureyri Festival looks like fun! Did you go in one of those huge bubbles? I wish I could have! I’m curious about those “Bit of Iceland” jars though, what exactly is in them?
Finally, it’s nice to hear that the people in Iceland are thoughtful about their construction projects, and that they’re good-natured. 🙂
Did you stay at the ice hotel? My aunt went to Iceland and stayed there. The little burgers were so cute. I went to Florida and in the Orlando airport there was a log like the one you saw to mark your experience. I love trolls and want to take a picture with one.
The architecture is so cool! It looks like a bee hive outside, but square.Those cookie burgers are so unique, and an Ice Hotel, how interesting! I’ve never been to Iceland, but now I’m going to go sometime. It looks so cool. I’d love to take a picture with a mystical creature.
I think the statues of the trolls were amazing! But the 2 seated restaurant was kind of disappointing.
I found it cool on how different a place can be then how you would think of it. I didn’t think of Iceland being a non-modern country but this proved me wrong. I l find it interesting how much the country cared about the environment and the people. I think the some parts of the USA should be more like them. Where did you stay in Iceland? I know all about the trolls in Scandinavia. The bubble balls/hamster balls were so funny! Wish I could visit.
I think that the whole security rating system would really help airports in the U.S. improve and also be fun for kids.
Did you log your experience? What did you log? What were in those “Bit of Iceland” jars?Who took your Troll picture?The hamster balls on the water looked like fun! 😉 I’ve never gone out of the country before, but Iceland looks like a lot of fun. It sounds like it’s really pretty there. I wish I could go to Iceland, but my parents are saving up on a house. 😦
Wow, that place looks so beautiful. I want to go there sometime
I feel i could really get to have as much fun as you did there
The Akureyri Festival looked pretty cool and I thought that the Hamster balls looked fun
The kids looked like they had fun in those balls.Those giant trolls looked awesome.All the buttons under the “How was your experience through security today?” looked kind of cute.It looked realy fun at the festival.
I wonder how long it took to make the giant trolls? Also the balls kind of looked fun but what if you got stuck in one? The bike was cool but why would someone want it the same color as the pole?
I found this really interesting! Everything, from buildings to the roads seemed lively and decorated. I found the festival especially interesting, and rolling around in those balls looks really fun!
I found the concert hall most interesting. The architecture was very intricate and special. The festival was really different from one you might go to here or somewhere else. The overall trip seem fun and an amazing experience.
I will have to go there!